Solid-state light emitters, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes, have several advantages over using more traditional arc lamps during curing processes, such as ultraviolet (UV) curing processes. Solid-state light emitters generally use less power, generate less heat, produce a higher quality cure, and have higher reliability than the traditional arc lamps. Some modifications increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the solid-state light emitters even further.
For example, solid-state light emitters emit light from within a housing or enclosure through a window. While solid-state light emitters emit less heat than their arc lamp counterparts, the temperatures emitted from the solid-state light emitters is still very high. These high temperatures cause damage to the components of the solid-state light emitters over time. Sometimes components such as the window through which the light is emitted is broken or shattered due to the effects of the high temperatures or from use or abuse of the device.
In another example, solid-state light emitters emit light from within a housing or enclosure through a window that is secured to some portion of the housing, which is usually done by a strong adhesive, such as a UV cured adhesive. Because of the permanent nature of this UV curing adhesive process, replacing a broken or worn window is difficult and time-consuming. Further, replacing such a window often requires the owner to send the entire system to the manufacturer or other repair location, which results in a significant amount of downtime and increased costs and project delays for the user.
Most current solid-state light emitters do not address the durability of the window or the downtime required to repair or replace windows.